Subscribe to SearchCap

Up-Close @ SMX West: Life After “Not Provided”

Last September, Google confirmed it was encrypting search term information, rendering previously available keyword data “not provided” and leaving many website owners in the dark.

While most SEO professionals managed the loss of search terms without suffering major disruptions in their SEO efforts, SMX West’s “Life After Not Provided” panel offered tactical insights for those who felt as if Google had taken away their flashlight.

Moderated by Search Engine Land’s executive features editor Pamela Parker, the “Life After Not Provided” panelists included Catalyst’s director of SEO operations Benjamin Spiegel, aimClear founder Marty Weintraub, and the digital marketing strategist for Intel Laura Ann Mitchell who presented along with Ken Shults, the vice president of analytics for Global Strategies.

Not Provided – What It Is & What It Means to the SEO Community

Brian Spiegel’s presentation gave a basic understanding of keyword not provided, explaining how the once available data offered insights on the connection between search terms and website activity.

According to Spiegel, there’s no secret door to finding the now lost keyword data.

“We tried it, it’s not working,” said Spiegel, dismissing any agency as “shady” that claims the opposite. Now with 75 to 92 percent of keyword data left not provided, Spiegel told the audience, “It doesn’t really matter anymore.” He went on to say effective SEO is about relevance, content and context – not focusing on keyword terms.

Spiegel said the best data insights come from Google’s webmaster tools, citing Python as the most effective solution his agency has found. He also offered the crowd the following six-step process to culling and interpreting website analytics to improve SEO:

Weintraub wasn’t phased by the loss of search terms. “I personally like metrics more now, since keywords were taken away,” said Weintraub, “I just don’t think it’s that big of a concern.”

Weintraub’s presentation included an in-depth overview of how big data could be leveraged to improve SEO initiatives, extolling the use of unpersonalized ranking tool authority labs to determine how your competitors rank. He was also quick to acknowledge the radical breakthroughs coming from PPC tool providers, naming SpyFu as one such solution that successfully extrapolates organic keyword ranking data.

Intel’s Case Study on Surviving Life After Not Provided

The final presentation was a joint effort by Intel digital marketing strategist Laura Ann Mitchell, and the VP of analytics for Global Strategies Ken Shults who works alongside Intel’s SEO strategy team.

According to Mitchell, before “Not Provided” Intel was seeing approximately three million unique keywords in natural search per month. Now it only sees about 700,000 keywords, most coming from outside the US.

Mitchell said keyword “Not Provided” now represents 87 percent of Intel’s natural search, which she claimed was mildly irritating, but not a big deal.

“SEO is what happens when everything else is done right,” said Mitchell, explaining Intel’s more holistic view of SEO. Before digging into the anayltics Intel now uses to refine its SEO efforts, Mitchell handed the presentation over to Ken Shults.

Shults said his team uses the Google keyword planner as its primary resource for keyword data, augmented with paid search and natural search analytics. Organizing Intel’s keyword landscape into topics and sub-topics, Shults claimed keyword availability improves with progressive granularity in his Google Webmaster Tool accounts.

You can review Intel’s complete case study on life after “not provided” here:

Attend MarTech and hear first-hand how brands like Coca-Cola, Aetna, Dell, EMC and Netflix are harnessing the power of technology to produce exceptional customer experiences that deliver business results. Visit with over 60 companies in expo hall. Don't miss the only US-based MarTech conference this year. Register today!

About The Author

Amy Gesenhues is Third Door Media's General Assignment Reporter, covering the latest news and updates for Search Engine Land and Marketing Land. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs.com, SoftwareCEO.com, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy's articles.